Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen
by GimmeBanjo
Summary: Cuddy takes a trip and learns that Charlotte has picked herself up, dusted herself off and learned to wear sunscreen.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

Summary: Cuddy learns that Charlotte has picked herself up, dusted herself off and learned to wear sunscreen.

Disclaimer: Even people as tan as the cast of House need to wear sunscreen.

* * *

Dr. Lisa Cuddy, Endocrinologist, ruffled through the papers on the nurse's station. She signed her name and slipped them into a folder and handed it back to one of the nurses with a smile. She turned to leave and ran into Dr. James Wilson.

"Planning a trip?" He asked with a smile

"Yeah." She smiled back "And I'm just making sure my patients are taken care of."

"Where are you going?"

"To visit a friend." She supplied and started to walk down the hall towards her office

"Where?" Wilson followed her

"California. What's it to you?"

"Just wondering how long you'll be gone."

"About a week." She slipped into her office and to her dismay, Wilson followed her in.

"I've known you two years and you've never taken a vacation." Wilson looked at her suspiciously.

"It's important that I go." She shrugged and reached for her briefcase.

"Do you need a ride to the airport?" He offered

"No, a car is coming to pick me up." She slammed her briefcase on her desk and looked at Wilson with pleading eyes. "If House asks where I'm going, lie. Tell him I'm off searching for Santa Claus or something."

"Ok." Wilson laughed "I got it. It's private."

"Thanks, Wilson." Cuddy smiled as she turned off the desk lamp. "Make sure he doesn't do anything crazier than normal while I'm gone. I don't want to come back and hear he's been fired again."

"Got it. On House Patrol." Wilson nodded and stepped out of the office. "Have a good vacation."

"Thank you." She laughed "I'll try."

*

Cuddy exited the gate and looked around. No one was there to get her because only one person knew she was coming, but it didn't stop the little bit of hopefulness she felt deep in her chest. With a sigh, she pushed past waiting families and made her way to the baggage claim.

After she secured her bags, she headed over to the car rentals and waited in line. Impatiently, she looked at her watch and tapped her foot, obviously annoying the round man in front of her. With an apologetic smile, she stopped her foot and let her hands ball into fists. She really didn't want to be late.

After more waiting and some haggling, she made her way out to the parking lot to find the conservative, maroon four door sedan. After throwing her bags in the trunk, she sped out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. Hopefully she wouldn't miss it.

*

Cuddy had only been gone a few hours, but House had already managed to get himself in trouble with the soon-to-be retired Dean of Medicine. Wilson mentally cursed himself as he made his way down the hallway towards House's office.

"What were you thinking?" Wilson announced himself at House's door.

"That today is a particularly sunny day." House spun around in his chair and answered without missing a beat

"So you thought you'd go outside and find a cliff to jump off of?"

"No," House frowned. "A bridge. Good cliffs are rare in this part of New Jersey."

"I can't believe you. We, as doctors, have standards to live up to. Codes and ethics to guide us."

"What are these strange terms you speak of?" House raised an eyebrow

"Cuddy is gone three hours and here I am, trying to talk sense into you. She should never leave again because clearly, I can't do it." Wilson collapsed on the chair in defeat.

"So what would be so important that our favorite Dean of Medicine-to-be would leave in the middle of reviews…" House wondered out loud.

"I don't know." Wilson shrugged.

"You do know." House accused

"Something about hunting Santa Claus." Wilson replied nonchalantly

"In California?" House eyed him and Wilson's eyes got round. "That's what I thought."

"So you know what she's doing?"

"I have a feeling I know what she's doing."


	2. Chapter 2

Charlotte sat amidst a sea of white and green graduation robes and caps. Behind her she heard some twittering from her excited classmates, and she couldn't help rolling her eyes. Five minutes. Their principal, Dr. Henry Johnson, had been droning on for five minutes. From the snippets she had caught, he wasn't talking about anything important; just their future.

She flipped through the graduation program that had been sitting on her chair. She started reading the colleges where all of her classmates would be attending in the fall. Harvard. Tennessee. Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Undecided. Berkeley. UCLA. She smiled. _Charlotte Helen Carrington-House – University of Michigan._ She had gotten her roommate assignment last week and had already emailed Anna Wu from Virginia, who was to be her new roommate. _Who cares about the future._ Charlotte thought impatiently. _Just get me out of California and back where I belong._

Dr. Johnson was finishing up and introducing the Valedictorian, Brandon Peebles. Charlotte and Brandon had dated for a while, but split up shortly after… After.

Life, so far, had two stages: Before and After. Charlotte didn't talk about her dad anymore, because this was After. Before, they were best friends and Charlotte couldn't brag enough about how amazing her father was. Now, in the After, it was like he didn't exist.

Brandon stood behind the podium and smiled at his classmates.

"I was going to write this really cool, emotional speech, but I decided I'd rather sleep than actually put any effort into this speech. Forgive me, Dr. Johnson, but what can I say that hasn't already been said? We rock. We know that. We're the future. If we didn't know that already, we sure do now." Brandon laughed the big, bright laugh that Charlotte had found so attractive. "So I stole something. I know we've all heard it before, but I had to fill up my allotted time, so I'm going to read it again." Brandon smiled the senior superlative award-winning smile and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '01... wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now."

With a yawn, Charlotte looked around. Was anyone really buying this crap? Brandon was so lazy and this speech was so 1990s. The sea of green and white caps all seemed to be transfixed on the speaker and she grudgingly turned her attention back to Brandon.

"Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday."

Charlotte laughed to herself. Been there, done that. She scanned the audience for her mother, knowing she would have the same reaction. When she found her mother on the bleachers, she smiled. Charlotte almost missed the smiling face next to Sarah and she had to do a double take. Why was Lisa there?

"Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good."

Lisa was there, maybe he was. Charlotte desperately started scanning the rest of the audience, praying he would be there, maybe hiding in the back or lingering by a doorway.

"Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography - in lifestyle - because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft."

The entire audience laughed. She couldn't find him.

"Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. But trust me on the sunscreen."

The crowd laughed and clapped as Brandon returned to his seat on the stage. He flashed a smile in Charlotte's direction, and she tried to return it. She was too distracted now. Without her realizing it, her row was standing up and proceeding to the stage.

One by one, their names were called out and they processed across. Charlotte felt like a shooting game at a carnival. The little ducks all lined up in a row, slowly making their way across the shooter's field of vision. If she was lucky, someone in front of her would get hit and fall over. At least that would make standing there amusing and bearable.

Finally her name was called. She heard her mother and Lisa cheering from the back of the gymnasium. Two people. Everyone else had their parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles… she had two people. One she didn't even invite, so she wasn't sure that Lisa actually counted.

She shook Dr. Johnson's hand and paused for the event photographer to take her picture. Hopefully her mom wouldn't want to buy it because she was sure she was scowling at the inconvenience.

She processed back to her seat where she sat as the rest of her 200 and some-odd classmates had their turn in front of the photographer. When it came time to throw her cap in the air, she didn't bother. She'd just have to hunt it down later and at this point, that was just asking too much.

The graduates were dismissed and immediately started running helter skelter, looking for their families. Charlotte stood still. Her friends from her field hockey team came up and congratulated her with hugs and squeals. She tried to mirror their responses, but she failed and they quickly faded away.

"Hey." Brandon came up behind her. "Are you looking for your dad?"

"How did you know?" Charlotte laughed nervously.

"If he's not here, he's not worth it." He pointed towards her mother approaching them tentatively.

"I know." She nodded. "Thanks, Bran."

"We made it, Char." Brandon hugged her quickly. "Give me a call later tonight. There's a few parties you should go to."

"I will." She nodded.

Brandon slipped away and Charlotte was immediately overcome by her mother's arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Mom!" She choked and pulled back.

"I'm so proud of you!" Sarah smiled and pushed a stray lock of blonde hair out of Charlotte's eyes. "I'm going to sound like a bad mother, but I never thought we'd get here."

"You're not a bad mother," Charlotte rolled her eyes "Because I wasn't sure we'd get here either."

"I knew you would." Cuddy smiled from behind Sarah.

Charlotte eyed Cuddy warily. She was torn between embracing her one-time babysitter and slapping her as hard as she could. Cuddy, sensing the conflict, continued to hover behind Sarah.

"Oh look," Sarah said suddenly. "There's Mrs. Peebles. I have a feeling she'll be a little upset with Brandon." She smiled "I better go talk her down." And she darted away, leaving Charlotte standing across from Cuddy.

"So." Cuddy said awkwardly. "Hi."

"Hi." Charlotte nodded

"Your mother was really excited about today. She's been talking about it for months now." Cuddy smiled softly "I hope you don't mind she invited me."

"It's a public event." Charlotte shrugged. "A long plane ride, but still, it's a public event."

"I have a present for you." Cuddy reached into her ever-present brief case and pulled out a letter and handed it to Charlotte. "I wanted to give it to you earlier, but I wanted to do it in person."

Charlotte took the letter and opened the envelope. She unfolded the paper and read the information in the letter slowly. After a moment, her eyes opened wide and she looked up at Cuddy.

"A full ride?" She asked in disbelief.

"You were going to get the alumni scholarship, but I pulled a few strings." Cuddy smiled. "You seemed to have forgotten some information on your application that was pertinent."

"Lisa…" Charlotte scanned the letter from the University of Michigan again. "You didn't have to…"

"You and your mother suffered for long enough. I caused some of that suffering. This is how I can help fix it."

"You caused some of it?" Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't think…"

"Don't think. Just say thank you." Cuddy reminded with a gentle smile

"Thank you." Charlotte nodded genuinely. Money was tight in the Carrington household and what Charlotte now held in her hand was a miracle.

"It was my pleasure." Cuddy nodded and looked around. "Do you have any plans tonight?"

"Um, there are a few parties later." Charlotte shrugged. "I don't think I'm going to go."

"You should go. You'll only be a high school graduate once."

"I'll be a high school graduate for the rest of my life." Charlotte said sarcastically "Hopefully they won't take it away."

"Hopefully." Cuddy agreed with a laugh

"Do you want to grab coffee or something?" Charlotte asked after an awkward pause in conversation.

"If you have the time, I'd love to." Cuddy said with a huge grin.

"Yeah, I've got time." She looked around for her mother "Maybe Mom won't be too miffed about me ditching her on my graduation night."


	3. Chapter 3

"So," Cuddy settled into the oversized armchair located in the corner of the coffee shop "That was THE Brandon Peebles."

"He's famous now? You've heard of him all the way in New Jersey?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow and Cuddy held back laughter. Even after two years, Charlotte's facial expressions were inexplicably House.

"I saw the prom pictures." Cuddy shrugged. Sarah had emailed the classic pre-prom pinning of the boutonnière and standing in the front yard before the prom party jumped into the waiting limo. Charlotte and Brandon had been the picture of perfection. Charlotte with her long, blonde hair hanging in loose curls and a dark blue slinky dress that made her bright blue eyes eerily dark and Brandon with his boyish good looks and shaggy brown curly hair touching the top of the collar of his rented tuxedo and matching dark blue vest. They were their own piece of Americana.

Cuddy looked at the Charlotte sitting across from her now. She had thrown on jeans and a t-shirt after graduation, insisting that she never wore dresses because they made her legs "feel funny." Charlotte wasn't beautiful, but she was captivating and commanded attention. She had more athleticism and grace in her petite thigh than Cuddy had in her whole body. Her hair was thrown into a messy pony-tail, a style Cuddy gathered she favored from the endless emails filled with pictures from Sarah. Her wide eyes were a stunning shade of blue and her nose could be considered a little on the large side. When she was little, it was almost a button nose, but now her nose seemed to work with her face shape: oval. Sarah once said that it was like House's jaw line was trying to piece itself with Sarah's round face. Cuddy smiled. The energetic little girl with bouncing curls was never supposed to turn out to be such a brooding, obscure beauty.

"We went as friends." Charlotte clarified, interrupting Cuddy's reverie.

"That doesn't mean that you two were not disgustingly perfect." Cuddy said with a wink and Charlotte chuckled a bit.

"It took us a while to get there."

"It normally takes those kinds of relationships time to get to where things are ok again."

"I take it Mom told you about the breakup, too." Charlotte sat back and sipped her coffee. She tucked her legs underneath her and awaited Cuddy's response.

"Yes." She said after a minute. "I was concerned about you."

"I had a little self-destructive streak, but I'm over it now." Charlotte nodded.

"It must be nice to be so aware of yourself." It was Cuddy's turn for sarcasm.

"Hey, you know, you try being oblivious when your mother is a counselor for Social Services. Family time is always therapy time. It gets really old." She placed her chin in her hand.

"So you're doing ok?" Cuddy asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Charlotte shrugged "Some days are better than others. I'm happy and I'm moving on…" She struggled to add, "But today felt a little empty."

Cuddy sat there in silence, hoping Charlotte would continue. Her ultimate goal was to reunite father and daughter, but first she had to rebuild the trust between herself and the young woman in front of her. Cuddy bit back the urge to make her confessions.

"It's weird." Charlotte continued after a moment. "I thought the years of fighting and pushing and challenging me to be more than I thought I could be would outweigh the two years of… nothing." She shrugged "I thought he cared more than that. Scarier still, I thought I cared." She laughed a small, sarcastic laugh. "Imagine my surprise when all I felt was empty. No disappointment, no hurt, nothing. Empty."

"You're going through a tough, transitory period…" Cuddy started and Charlotte cut her off

"Mom's covered that in one of our dinnertime therapy sessions." She reminded

"She's taking good care of you, isn't she." Cuddy smiled, making more of a statement than asking a question

"She's doing her best considering the circumstances." Charlotte shrugged. "I'm pretty capable of taking care of myself as well."

"You're both doing a fine job."

They sat and sipped their coffee, sending cautious looks over the tops of their cups.

"Are you excited about Michigan?" Cuddy asked after a minute

"Oh God, yes." Charlotte sighed. "I hate California. I want to go home. I miss it so much."

"Sometimes I think of Michigan as home, too." Cuddy said with a smile "What's the first thing you're going to do when you get back?"

"I don't know." Charlotte shrugged "Maybe just walk around Ann Arbor." _I want to find our old house and sit in the driveway and wait for Dad to come home. I'm not going to move until he finds me there. _Charlotte's voice sounded childish, even in her own head.

"Maybe I'll come visit you." Cuddy sounded unsure of herself.

"Of course." Charlotte nodded, much to Cuddy's relief. "And we'll go to that crappy little movie theater where you used to take me on Saturdays. The one with the ancient popcorn machine and out-of-date movies."

"If it's still there." Cuddy laughed "You know, I only took you there because I knew you would be captivated by the movie and no one else would be there so I could study. And it was cheap."

"I know, but it's still one of my favorite memories." She blushed. "You would come over Saturday mornings and after lunch, we'd go see a movie. It was a tradition and I miss those, too."

Cuddy was taken aback. She didn't think those Saturdays when Sarah had school stuck in Charlotte's memory. Charlotte was right, they had their own set of traditions back then.

"We should get going." Charlotte said after a moment. "Mom said dinner would be ready like ten minutes ago."

"You're right." Cuddy stood up and laughed "Sarah doesn't like tardiness."

"She's gotten better…" Charlotte followed Cuddy out the door. "She took the tracking device out of my car."

"She didn't…" Cuddy looked astonished

"I had too many pairs of shoes and getting it implanted in my teeth was way too expensive." She shrugged as Cuddy laughed and together they exited the coffee shop.


	4. Chapter 4

Cuddy tentatively knocked on Charlotte's bedroom door. There was a quiet invitation to come in from the other side and Cuddy pushed the door open. Charlotte was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed and her laptop sitting in front of her.

"How was shopping with Mom?" Charlotte asked with a smile.

"It was very productive." Cuddy smiled. "You are going to let me take you out before I go back, right? I want to help get stuff for your dorm."

"You don't have to do that." Charlotte blushed

"No, I do." Charlotte started to interrupt, but Cuddy sat on the edge of her bed and insisted, "I do, Charlotte."

"Why?"

"I am responsible for a lot of the pain you've gone through these last few years." Cuddy said softly. She couldn't bring her eyes to meet Charlotte's.

"Buying me things isn't going to wash away your guilt." Charlotte reminded gently

"It could help." Cuddy looked up feebly. "I feel like I took your father away."

Charlotte sat there silently for a moment, the she closed her laptop and scooted closer to Cuddy.

"He makes his own decisions." She said with a wisdom beyond her years.

"No, you don't understand." Cuddy insisted "I suggested the surgery that took away the damaged tissue. I agreed to do it behind his back because I knew he wouldn't agree."

"You saw it as saving his life."

"I can't help but feel partially responsible." Cuddy took in a sharp breath. "I'm partially responsible for a lot of his decisions that have effected your life."

"He moved away to go to school, not because he slept with you." Charlotte shrugged and Cuddy stared and Charlotte with her mouth wide open. "Oh come on, every one had a secret and it was killing me not knowing."

"You knew?" Cuddy still looked at Charlotte with disbelief

"Not right away, I finally got it out of Dad a few years ago. You were too generous, Mom was too cautious and Dad was too aloof." Charlotte shrugged again then repeated, "He makes his own decisions."

"You're not mad?"

"Why would I be? My parents weren't married. In fact, I don't even think they were even in love by the time I came along. Plus, he could have slept with someone I really hated… I think that would have made me mad. I've read Cinderella and I'm not a fan of the evil step-mother model." Charlotte smiled.

"It was a one time deal." Cuddy said uncomfortably

"I don't care!" Charlotte tried not to laugh as Cuddy shifted uncomfortably. "The transgressions of our fathers are not our transgressions."

Cuddy let out a startled, throaty laugh.

"I came to California to comfort you, not the other way around."

"No, you came to California to clear your conscious." Charlotte stated "Which is totally ok, because I like having you here. I missed my Lisa."

"I shouldn't have taken a page from your father's playbook. I should have called." Cuddy said apologetically

"Yeah, you should have." Charlotte nodded "But things worked out. It gave me time to reevaluate life."

"I just…" Cuddy shifted uncomfortably on the edge of the bed "I just need to know you're going to be fine."

"Yeah," Charlotte gave a smug little smile. "I learned to wear my sunscreen."


	5. Chapter 5

"Ah," House inhaled deeply as he walked through the doors to the Dean of Medicine's office. "The sweet smell of victory in the morning."

"Thank you." Cuddy said from her position behind her new desk.

"Hmm?" House asked, distracted by some files sitting on her couch.

"I'm assuming that was your way of congratulating me."

"Of course." House nodded. "Way to use the board as not only your personal stepping stones, but as bedsport."

"Can I help you?" She asked, suddenly annoyed with his presence.

"Just checking out the new digs." He shrugged "Being called to the principal's office is going to be a lot more fun."

"You're still officially fired." Cuddy reminded him solemnly. The moment she said that, she bit her tongue. She knew she had no other choice other than to hire him back.

"I was told the new Dean of Medicine was really easy. You've met the new cow, what's your take?" He leaned on her desk. "Do you think I can seduce her and have her hire me back?"

"Seduce, no." Cuddy smiled "But she might be feeling generous today, so you might have a chance at being hired back."

"May the gods of medicine smile upon you today." House smiled, almost relieved.

"Meaning you?"

"Aw, shucks." House said with sarcastic humility "You think I'm a god."

"You're the furthest thing from a god." Cuddy sighed "But I've come to realize you make your own decisions. But you need to realize your decisions do effect other people, so I ask you, no, I demand that you take that into account from now on."

"Yes, mistress." House gave a smug smile, one that Cuddy had seen several times on her trip to California.

"I'm not kidding, House." She pointed her finger at him "I will be watching you more closely than my predecessors only because I know you and know what you're capable of."

"You can't stop me." He said defiantly

"No, but I can make your life as miserable as you make mine." She said with a hint of triumph.

"So…" House took the opportunity of her gloating to throw her off balance. "What were you doing in California?" House asked with an amused smile "Atoning for past sins?"

"No," Cuddy shook her head, taking it all in stride. "I was learning how to apply sunscreen."

It was her turn for the smug smile. With a flip of her hair, she turned her back to House and started to rummage through one of the boxes sitting on the floor. She could feel House's eyes on her behind and chose to ignore it. After a few moments, he let out and exasperated sigh and she heard him shuffle out of her office, slamming the door as he left. This new job was going to be fun.

_**..fin..**_


End file.
